[allison]

Quote:

Originally posted by Lady Valkyrie
<b>Then explain to me those men who prefer larger women over skinny ones? I am a large woman. I am a size 18/20. My second husband loves larger women. He told me that he likes a woman who is soft and gives him something to hold onto. He said he hates the feel of a "bag of bones" up against him. I have dated many men who prefer larger women. In fact all of the men I dated between my first and second husband prefer their women larger and they all said they hate "a bag of bones". And in some tribes in Africa a woman with a well endowed behind and hips are highly praised. In fact one tribe in particual in Africa have a ritual where the women stuff their clothes to make their behind and hips appear larger. So I feel in fact that it is not instinct to get a "fit" mate... it's all about individual preferances. My first husband married me when I was only a size 4. Due to depression, mental illnesses, bullemia, &nbsp;and binge eating I blew up to a size 18/20... he hates larger women... he left me for another woman who was a size 2. </b>

There have been studies done on this that suggest that men prefer and look for a hip to waist ratio of 0.7. This ratio does not indicate any particular dress size! Other studies have shown that the reason they prefer this ratio is b/c in general it indicates heightened fertility. You can be a size 18, or 26, or 4, and have a 0.7 hip to waist ratio. It has nothing to do with fat or thin.

As far as humans preferring healthy mates, that is just a simple fact. If their mate is healthy, they get to combine their genes (which nature drives then to pass on) with those of a healthy person's which makes their offspring more likely to be healthy and more likely to survive and hence, pass on their genes further. A plump woman with ample body fat is much more able to carry a healthy baby than a skin and bones woman, which probably explains why many men prefer a plump, soft, larger woman over a very skinny one. Women that are too skinny stop menstruating anyway, which obviously makes them unable to bear children.